We're Hiring!, we've got new classes, there are still openings available for the yarn and needle tasting and

the Classic Elite Knitalong deadline is coming soon, so I need those finished project pictures.

Lots of good stuff in this newsletter, so read on!

IMPORTANT IMPORTANT IMPORTANT: If I've talked to you about coming to work for us, or even if I haven't, if you're interested, read the newsletter and send me an email. I want to get someone on the schedule for the beginning of August to start training!!!

Yarn Tasting Signup, Wounded Warriors Shawl project and more!!

Lots of Yarn Tasting NEWS!! Read on.... Another new Classic Elite trunk show is enroute and should be in by Friday. Click here to preview the books or come into the shop to check out all the details.    Click here for your flyer on the Needle and Yarn Tasting; then come into the shop and sign up. If you've been before, you know how much fun they are, and if you haven't, well, this is a great first time, since we actually have enough room in the shop to do this properly since the expansion.   August 17th or August 18th - both dates are currently available, and your $10 registration fee goes to animal rescue. And did we mention that there will be lots of doorprizes and samples to take home?   If you're not familiar with FrogTree yarns, their yarns are ridiculously reasonably priced wonderfully soft Fair Trade yarns from Peru and Bolivia. FrogTree, the company, is actually T&C Imports, a non-profit, so all the profits from the wholesale sales of their yarns goes to the artisans who create them and to support education and environmental projects in their communities. So, great yarns and great causes all wrapped up together. To read more about them, click on this link: http://www.frogtreeyarns.com/.   We only carry a few of the yarns that Muench yarns offers, so Kirsten Muench is sending us a whole bunch of stuff for you to try out.  You can help me to decide whether to expand our offerings of their yarns based on what you like at the tasting.

Semper Fi CommunityTask Force Knitting/Crocheting Project We are finally getting this organized and the first shawls have been started. If you'd like to join in but haven't had a chance yet, just hit the reply button and do so today. If you've already volunteered, you'll be getting a separate email from me in a little while about the project.   For those of you who have said you want to contribute the yarn as well as the labor, you can basically get started. What we're going to do for you is this: you buy the yarn, and make the shawl - when you turn the shawl back in to us, we will give you a 30% credit of the purchase price of the yarn - so you'll get the yarn at 30% off, once you've completed the shawl. Please hold onto your ball bands and bring them back in when you bring in the shawl. We'll need them to correct the bookkeeping, and also to provide care instructions to the recipient.   So, if you're want to buy the yarn for your project, just come in anytime that suits you - any of the shop staff can help you decide what to make.    There are lots of wonderful free knitted and crocheted shawls, wraps and stoles patterns on Ravelry. You can work with any weight of yarn you choose, any color, any fiber - since there is no way of knowing what gowns will be donated, the Task Force just needs whatever we can give them.   We have a relatively long lead time so we should be good. The Marine Corps Ball is in November, around Veteran's Day, we want to deliver the shawls in October so they can pair them with the gowns and get them ready for their recipients.   Again if you're willing to participate in this project and haven't signed on yet, please send me an email (you can reply to this newsletter) and let me know. Please include your phone number, what kind of project you would like to make, and if you're not a frequent visitor to the shop, some information on your skill level.

Three Classes Currently Available! Kirsten is going to be teaching part 2 of our Introductory knitting series - Knitting Essentials 102. This class will be held on Wednesday afternoons, July 24th, 31st and August 14th, from 530 to 730pm. The registration fee is $65.00. Read more here.  There are only a few spots left in this class, so sign up today.     AND ONE MORE Class: SHEEP! Felted SHEEP! Yes, we are doing a single session Needle Felting Class  on Saturday August 24th from 430 to 630pm - this little fellow pictured here is now sitting on the shop counter looking adorable. We also have other felted creature kits in transit, in addition to some we already have in stock but we'll be doing sheep in the class. Click  here for the details. The registration fee for this one session class is $45. but that includes your kit and tools to create your first sheep. Then, if you're ambitious, you can try the bear, the birds, the pigs, the buffalo and hopefully ponies are coming as well. Or you can buy fiber and a book and create your own critters.....   Another crochet class is on the books for Sunday, July 21st from 330 to 6pm - students should have their Crocheted Broomstick Lace Scarf wellunderway by the end of the class. We've done the knitted version, now it's time to try the crocheted version. A draft version of the flyer is attached. It's all good but the picture isn't of our shop sample..... The flyer is here.  And more classes are coming - Crocheted Baby Surprise Jacket is still projected for for early September (is there any interest in taking the Knitted Surprise Jacket class? - we haven't offered it in awhile...)  and Kirsten is working on a sock class (just a little different from the one taught by Diane) and also we're working on Crochet Essentials   102.   Let us know what you want and we'll see what we can come up with.

We're open on the 4th (today) and having a small unannounced sale!

Short Newsletter - a Red White and Blue sale, and we're having to reschedule Sunday's Class, so if you're signed up for it, expect a call from the shop on reschedule dates - we will go with the date that is best for the most of you.

NEW CLASSES ADDED TO THE SCHEDULE!! More details on the scarf project! Nova Cubics!

We've added Blocking Essentials, Felted Sheep, and Crocheted Broomstick Lace to the list!!

Crochet Class Dates Change; a project for a worthy cause, Knitting 102 and more

Two of our crochet classes had to be rescheduled to a new start date so there's still time to sign up, we've added Knitting Essentials 102 to the schedule and we're hoping many of you will want to participate in a special project in support of the Semper Fi Community Task Force on Redstone Arsenal, so read on....

CLASSES STARTING TODAY!! Bonus MESH Yarns Sale!

Is there something you've been thinking about knitting for awhile, but just weren't sure you could do it by yourself? Kirsten has a few last minute openings for her Choose Your Own Project Class at 9am Saturday morning, so grab your purse and go!! Right NOW!!
Otherwise, read all about the other classes and workshops we have coming up in June and July, and don't forget to sign up for one of the sessions of our August Needle and Yarn Tasting Events. And the deadline to signup and be eligible for the Classic Elite KAL prize basket is Monday, June 10th. We've got the books and lots of the yarns and more on their way.
And remember, we're open from 10am until 5pm on Saturdays and 1 to 5pm on Sundays and this is a Spin and Stitch Sunday weekend!!

SALE SALE SALE - Yes, a real all throughout the shop Sale!

Regular Shop Hours  Monday Wednesday Friday 11am to 5pm                    Tuesday Thursday 11am to 7pm Saturday 10am to 5 pm                          Sunday 1pm to 4pm In this newsletter... SALE SALE SALE 1st 2 Classes Scheduled Floor Problem Reminder Tastings, KALs & Trunk Shows: More Details SALE SALE SALE Yes, it's time for a REAL SALE again!! 30% OFF ALL SHOP MERCHANDISE!! This Thursday Friday Saturday and Sunday! STASH SALE continues through Sunday as well, but there is no additional discount on Stash Sale Merchandise since it is already heavily discounted, and the rescue animals need every penny we can raise! And if you shopped Stash Sale earlier in the week, you may want to check it out again. We are receiving additional donations and adding them in as fast as we can. PERMANENT MARKDOWN MERCHANDISE IS INCLUDED in the 30% OFF sale. Merchandise marked down 25% will be 55% off, and 40%off merchandise will be 70% OFF!!!  Yes, we are practically giving it away. And as part of the renovation, we were able to set up a spot by the 25% off yarns for the 25% off books and magazines, so there are some great buys to be had.   I promised you new classes; here's the first two We've got the first 2 new classes scheduled and I'm waiting on emails from 2 of our other instructors to get 5 other classes on the calendar. Knitting Essentials 101 will meet on Wednesdays, June 12th, 19th and 26th from 530 to 730pm. We will have a sign up register in the shop by Friday, and hopefully flyers by Friday or Saturday.   Choose Your Own Project (Knit) will begin on June 8th, instead of the 1st, because of the sale. The second session will meet on June 29th to give participants a chance to work on their projects. The 3rd session date is TBD; once you decide your projects, Kirsten will work with you to figure out the final session date. As with Knitting Essentials 101, there will be a signup register in the shop by Friday and hopefully flyers by Saturday. The remaining classes we are working on for June are Crochet Essentials 101 - the beginner class, Crocheted Wingspan (a workshop to create the crocheted version of the popular knitted shawl), a class to create the wonderful round shawl we have displayed in the shop, crocheted in Sanibel, a Knitted Stole or Scarf class using Tiana, a new slightly fuzzy yarn with a sprinkling of sequins (the sample is in the shop and we've got the yarn coming in just for the class in a wide range of colors) and another lovely scarf class that Diane Lanier has dreamed up for us - so far, I've only seen a picture, but it looks gorgeous and I hope to have more details in a few days..

. Reminder about the floor problem - so please be careful as you walk into the newer section of the shop!  The floor problem is still unresolved. The subcontractor who installed the flooring, Greg Slaten / Slaten's Flooring (256.656.7936),  has refused to fix the problems that came from not doing the job right. I can't undestand how a good carpet store tolerates this quality of work.... I am planning to report them to the BBB and Angie's List if this doesn't get worked out, but am open to other suggestions, if anyone has any. And feel free to spread the word; we all need to act against shoddy workmanship. Tastings, KALs and Trunk Shows.... We've got a summer of knitting and crocheting fun planned for you.  We have started receiving our Classic Elite trunk shows to support all of their new books. Click here to preview the books or come into the shop to check out all the details. And we're participating in the Classic Elite Yarns Summer Knitalong again this year. If you'd like a chance to win a gift basket like the one shown here, come in and sign up. Your chances are good - last year's winner, Sarah, now works for the shop so is ineligible to participate. The rules are simple: Participants must register by June 10th, 2013. So sign up when you're in for the sale - the sale discount is better than the KAL discount, so take advantage of it!  Projects must be from one of the 2013 Classic Elite Spring pattern collections, use at least 3 skeins of any Classic Elite yarn purchased this season, and be completed by July 31st, so that we can submit pictures of completed projects to Classic Elite. If we have at least ten registered participants who complete the KAL, we will have a second prize - a $25.00 gift certificate. Tastings - this summer we have a slightly different tasting planned - we're going to taste needles (well, and some yarn also - you need yarn to try needles). Knitter's Pride is send us tasting samples of all of their different needles, so if you've always wanted to try Cubics, or the new Karbonz in the larger sizes, or Dreamz or Nova, this will be your chance. The dates are Saturday August 16th and Sunday August 17th, with the $10 registration fee going to Animal Rescue as always. The signup rosters for  both days of the Tastings will be in the shop on Friday as well, but since I just got confirmation on the yarns around 9pm on Wednesday, the flyers will be a few more days. We have confirmed Frog Tree Yarns, suppliers of Ewetopia, Merino Melange, Pediboo and Picoboo yarns, for the tasting and Muench Yarns, our Knitter's Pride distributor will also be sending us some of their yarns to taste as well. Susan Hope, our Muench and Frog Tree rep, will be in the shop for both events, armed with color cards and answers to all your questions. As with our previous tastings, you can order one skein or a hundred, of any of the yarns sold by Frog Tree or Muench, or any of the needles or hooks, or notions, even if we normally don't carry them, and get a discount as well.  Some of you may remember Susan - she was in the shop at Thanksgiving when she brought us all that wonderful Schaefer Yarn that is no longer to be had.....